TKST and Co-Counsel Obtain $27.5 Million Wrongful-Death Jury Verdict

Firm news · October 14, 2026

A DeKalb County State Court jury awarded $27.5 million to Nicollette Black and the estate of her brother, Jonathan Black, following a trial concerning the emergency medical care he received in 2013. Thomas G. “Woody” Sampson II of Thomas Kennedy Sampson & Tompkins LLP represented the plaintiffs with Anna Green Cross and Alyssa Baskam of Cross Kincaid Baskam.

This account is based on the firm’s press release dated September 23, 2026. The parties entered a confidential high/low stipulation before the verdict. The reported verdict is distinct from any amount payable under that agreement, whose terms remain confidential.

The care at issue

Jonathan Black was 23 when he arrived at Newton Medical Center in Covington on February 19, 2013 with a rapid heart rate associated with undiagnosed Graves’ disease. According to the release, he received three intravenous medications over approximately two hours. On-call cardiologist Dr. James S. Abraham then directed emergency physician Dr. Hai Hong Trinh to give a fourth medication, metoprolol, which a nurse administered.

Black suffered cardiac arrest approximately ten minutes later. After resuscitation and further cardiac arrests, he died two days later at Emory Hospital.

What the parties argued

Plaintiffs’ counsel argued that Abraham directed care by telephone and text without coming to the hospital, examining Black, reviewing his chart or viewing his cardiac monitor, relying instead on an electrocardiogram photograph. Counsel contended that the combination of medications caused the fatal cardiac arrests and pointed to warnings in the manufacturer’s labeling.

The defense maintained that other patients routinely receive the same drug combination and that Black’s underlying condition, rather than negligence, caused his death.

The jury’s decision

Following an eight-day trial and approximately two hours of deliberations, the jury found Abraham grossly negligent. The jury found that Trinh was not grossly negligent.

• $25 million to Nicollette Black for the full value of Jonathan Black’s life.
• $2.5 million to the Estate of Jonathan Black for conscious pain and suffering.
• Total jury verdict: $27.5 million.

A confidential high/low stipulation was negotiated before the verdict. Its terms and the amount payable are not disclosed in the release.

A team effort for the family

Woody Sampson worked alongside Anna Green Cross and Alyssa Baskam of Cross Kincaid Baskam in representing Nicollette Black and the estate. Learn more about Woody’s background and TKST’s work in medical malpractice and wrongful-death matters.

Related public court record

The 2018 appellate decision in Abraham v. Black addresses an earlier issue concerning who could bring the wrongful-death claim. It provides procedural background; it does not report or establish the later jury verdict.

Source for the verdict and trial account: TKST press release dated September 23, 2026. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Each matter depends on its facts and applicable law. This article is general information, not legal advice.